With the spread of mobile data and smartphones, the world of online dating has also evolved accordingly, developing mobile apps, one among them Tinder.
This is a free dating app known for its convenience of use: the conversation between two people begins only if both have found the other interesting, this through an easy gesture, the swipe to the right.
If, on the other hand, a profile does not match one’s interests, the swipe to the left remains completely anonymous, thus ensuring that users cannot be tracked by others. Currently widespread in more than 190 countries, Tinder has 2 billion visits per day and more than 30 billion matching profiles (Tinder, n.d.). However, this is not the only app dedicated to online dating: globally, among the most widely used are Badoo, Grindr, Lovoo and Meetic. In total, nearly 220 million people worldwide use dating apps, both free and paid, of these 43% are between 25 and 34 years old. Male users are the main users, with prevalences ranging from 67% to 84%.
Given the wide use of these types of applications, it is interesting to study how they impact the social, affective and relational context of their users.
A recent review focuses on those studies in the literature that have been concerned with explaining the use of Tinder in different areas. A first area is evolutionary based: certain characteristics of the profiles of men registered on Tinder, make the user more attractive, increase the likelihood of a match , and appeal to evolutionary theories of fitness, i.e.,fitness and better reproductive success: a partner with a higher level of education could provide more support and stability.
From a strictly psychological perspective, on the other hand, Tinder users, compared to those who do not use this application, report higher levels of extroversion and openness to new opportunities, but also manipulative behavior, impulsivity, emotional coldness, low levels of empathy, and antisocial traits.
Motivations for people to communicate through applications such as Tinder can be the search for a new relationship, casual sex, convenience and ease of online communication, and the thrill of the experience itself, but also to improve one’s self-esteem.
Two studies conducted in Australia and the United States, respectively, also show that there are gender differences in the use of Tinder: men use the app predominantly for casual dating and seeking sex, while women more frequently seek a partner for a romantic and lasting relationship. Numerous studies have focused on risk behaviors associated with the use of dating apps, including, for example, unprotected sex, more casual partners, sexually transmitted diseases, and alcohol and drug use before or during sex.
More recent research has explored from a behavioral perspective the differences between dating app users and people who do not use dating apps. The results confirm that those who use dating apps report more experiences of casual sexual partners, but no significant differences are denoted with regard to the other risk behaviors mentioned by previous studies.
On the other hand, the literature remains unanimous in suggesting educational programs and interventions, especially for younger segments of the population, that emphasize awareness of the consequences of risky sexual behaviors, complementing classic sex education interventions with the impact that social media and online dating apps can have in the sphere of sexuality.
